Curtain rod



Patented June 15, 1937 UNITED STATES rarsnr OFFICE 7 Claims.

This invention relates to a system of curtain rods, some of which are disposed at an angle, preferably a right angle, to others. The rods are so formed and disposed that curtain carriers can be moved along the rods by pulling on the edges of the curtains and the curtains can be transferred from one rod to another Without taking the curtains down and replacing them. The invention is particularly useful in hospitals for the purpose of screening one or more beds from others, but it is not restricted to this particular use.

In carrying out this invention, the curtain rods are provided with longitudinal passageways therethrough and also with slots at the bottom thereof, and the rods are connected to each other, preferably by branches, with the slots intersecting or merging into each other. The rods are supported at intervals by hangers to a ceiling or 9 overhead support, and the ends of the rods may be attached to the walls or other portions of the buildings in which they are located.

The invention will be understood from the description in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig.1 is a plan view of an illustrative embodiment of the invention, showing a section of a hospital with twowindows and three beds; Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing one of the rods and a hook; Fig. 3 is a plan view from below on an enlarged scale, showing how one rod is connected to another; Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing another example of how the rods may be connected to each other; Figs. 5 and 6 are side views showing modifications of the curtain hooks.

In the drawing, reference character I indicates a section of a hospital having two windows 2 and three beds 3.

A straight curtain rod 4 is shown extending from one side wall to another, to which other the ends of this rod may be secured. Cross rods 5 are shown extending at right angles to the rod 5, and are provided at one end with branches 6, the ends of which may be connected to the facings of the windows 2. The other ends of the rods 5 are also provided with branches 1 which are connected to the rod 4, as is most clearly shown in Fig. 3.

Passageways 8 for the curtain carriers (Fig. 2) extend longitudinally through each one of the curtain rods. These rods may be made in the form of tubes or pipes and are provided with longitudinal slots 9 at the bottom thereof, extending into the passageways 8.

Curtain hangers ID are provided and made, for

example, with their upper ends screwed into slidable members II, or they may be otherwise connected to the slidable members. The members l l are placed in the passageways B and they may be made of various shapes, such as spherical or oblong, for example. Or they may be made in the form of hemispheres l2, as shown in Fig. 5, or these members may be made of two wheels or disks is connected by a shaft M, which shaft is surrounded by the upper end of the curtain hook it] which is bent into a ring or hook for this purpose, thus providing a rolling member instead of a sliding member in the passageways 8. An opening it (Fig. 2) may be provided at one or more places through the upper sides of the rods to provide passageways through which the curtain hooks can be passed to'introduce the same into the passageways 8, as shown in Fig. 2. A sufiicient number of the curtain hooks are provided to have the curtain suspended therefrom at desirable intervals.

One or more closets I6 may be provided in the wall or walls at the end of one or more of the curtain rods, so that the curtains can be drawn into these closets whenever desired and will be out of the way.

Enlarged view 3 shows how the rods 5 are connected to the rod 4 by curved branches 1 with the slots 9 intersecting. A spider I8 may be provided with legs I9 of sufficient length for the ends thereof to rest under the junction points of the rods, so that a ceiling hanger may be screwed into the threaded opening for supporting the rods. The rods may also be supported by hangers at intervals in other places, these hangers being attached to the curtain rods along the upper sides thereof, or in such a way that they do not interfere with the movement of the curtain hooks l0.

Fig. 4 shows how two rods 2| and 22 may intersect or cross each other at right angles at the location designated by the reference character M, with four curved connecting rods 23 connecting the adjacent portions of the rods 2| and 22 with each other.

It will be obvious that with this invention a smaller number of curtains can be used in order to screen beds from each other and the curtains can be easily manipulated into a variety of places to suit conditions. For example, one curtain may extend from the closet 16 along the rod 4 and branch 1, rod 5 and branch 6, to the first window 2, while another curtain extends from this ourtain along the rod 4 to the next branch 1 and rod 5 to the next window, or, one curtain can be made to extend along an end and side of each corner bed and a shorter curtain along the end of the middle bed. Also, the curtains can be extended to the edges of the window facings, when desired to shut off any glaring light that might otherwise come through the window to the patient in any one of the beds. It will also be obvious from an inspection of Fig. 4, that with curtain rods arranged as shown in this figure, a large choice of locations of the curtains is possible and that the curtains can be placed in the different locations with ease and rapidity.

I claim:

1. A system of curtain rods having longitudinal passageways therethrough and slots at the bottom thereof extending into said passageways, some of said rods joining others at an angle with the corresponding slots intersecting.

2. A system of curtain rods having longitudinal passageways therethrough and slots at the bottom thereof extending into said passageways,- some of said rods joining others at an angle with the corresponding slots intersecting and curtain supports having members movable in said slots.

3. A system of curtain rods having longitudinal passageways therethrough and slots at the bottom thereof extending into said passageways, some of sad reds joining others at an angle with the ccrrespcnding slots intersecting and curtain supports hav'ng members movable in said slots,

at least one of said rods having an opening in the upper side thereof sufliciently large to permit passage of said curtain supports therethrough.

4. A system of curtain rods having longitudinal passageways therethrough and slots at the bottom thereof extending into said passageways, some of said rods joining others at an angle with the corresponding slots intersecting, and hang ers for said rods near where they join.

5. A system of curtain rods having longitudinal passageways therethrough and slots at the bottom thereof extending into said passageways, at least two of said rods crossing each other at substantially a right angle, and curved connections near said crossing for said rods.

6. A system of curtain rods having longitudinal passageways therethrough and slots at the bottom thereof extending into said passageways, at least one of said rods extending at an angle to another one and being connected thereto by curved branches.

7. A curtain rod having a longitudinal passageway therethrough, a slot along the lower side thereof extending into said passageway and an opening in the upper side thereof extending into said pasiageway sufficiently large to permit curtain hangers to pass therethrough.

LOUIS V. VIOLA. 

